Things that Go Bump in the Night
by Selene Romanov
Summary: COMPLETE. The gang of OTH is back for more adventures. Romantic revelations, torn friendships, death and mystery. Plz R&R!
1. Picking up Brooke

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Author: Selene Romanov

Title: Things that Go Bump in the Night

Rating: PG

Summary: the gang goes on a camping trip………….things go bump in the night. There has never been a Luke/Brooke or Peyton/Luke. This trip will change that!!!!

A/N: My other stories will be updated soon……but this is my new story of the moment. So bear with me. Please read & review!!!

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Friday

__

Let's go back………..back to the beginning………..back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned……….. pounded out of a stereo as rain stormed outside.

Rain splashed on the porch railing as it fell softly to the earth. Trees trembled in the wraithlike breeze, green leaves shuddering against the soft whisper of the wind.

A pale manicured hand wiped damp drops off a red sweater. Brown hair fell silkily to slender shoulders. 

Mahogany eyes stared at the sun peeking out of the clouds.

"Brooke are you ready to go?" a masculine voice called up the stairs.

"Yeah, just let me get the rest of my clothes into my bag. Hey, is the rain going to last all night?" she called back down the stairs.

"It might, weather forecast said it's supposed to blow over by midnight. The bus leaves at six and it's already five forty-seven."   
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Slinging her duffel over one shoulder, she looked down the stairs at Lucas.

__

Golden Boy. One of the basketball stars. Too bad he's not mine…………

Banishing that thought from her mind, she smiled and tossed her bag down the stairs at Luke.

"Where's Peyton?" Hands on her hips, she looked like the perky cheerleader captain she was.

"Peyton is talking to her dad on the web cam, he's supposed to be home tomorrow night, and since we don't get back till Tuesday." Luke's words were muffled by Brooke's duffel bag.

Brooke gently pushed Luke out the door and followed him to his truck. "So where are we going again?"   
  
  
"Some place called Emerald Bay about 2 hours north of here." Luke tossed Brooke's bag in the back of his truck, along with his.

Brooke locked her door and jumped into Luke's truck. "Are we going to get Peyton now?"   
  
"Yeah. Nathan and Haley are driving up in his car, so we'll see them there and everyone else is taking the bus."  


"What about chaperones?" Brooke cocked a naughty eyebrow.

"Only the teachers and they go to bed early." Luke smiled with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Brooke rolled down the window and let the cool breeze whistle through her outstretched fingers. Freedom had never seemed sweeter. _Spring is my favorite time of the year, when everything blooms. Green trees, sweet flowers, and new things that are meant to happen._

As they pulled into Peyton's driveway, a red Corvette sat parked in the driveway, behind Peyton's car.

The door stood open, a duffel bag flew out the door. A slender girl with dirty-blonde curls stepped out of the door and waved at them.

Brooke leaned out the window. "Hey girlfriend, ready to have some fun?"  
  
Peyton nodded, locked her door and handed her duffel to Luke.

Sliding into the middle, Peyton put her arm around Brooke. "Ready to have some fun?" 

"Hell yes." Brooke slapped Peyton's hand with a high-five.

Luke started up the truck and they started off for Emerald Bay.

******  
  
Plz R&R!!! ;)


	2. Arrival

Green foliage lined the sides of the highway as Luke drove. Country music poured out of the stereo. 

Peyton beat her hand along to the rhythm on her knee, while looking out the window.

Brooke had her head back against the seat, her hat tipped over her forehead. As she slept, the wind whistled through her soft brown hair.

Luke nodded his head to the rhythm and kept driving. Up ahead sped a black Mustang.

"There's Nathan and Haley." Luke nodded to the car.

Peyton shook her head and laughed in sheer delight.

**  
  
"Haley, what song do you want to listen to now?" Nathan asked as he fiddled with CD's in the passenger seat.

Haley picked one with her hand, not even looking. Looked at the odometer and stepped on the accelerator a little more.

"Speed much?" Nathan teased.

Haley smirked at him. "I like to drive in the fast lane. Can't blame a girl for wanting a bit of fun in her otherwise dull life." Rolling her eyes at her last remark.

Nathan lifted her right hand off the steering wheel and kissed it softly. Looking into her big brown eyes.

"I wouldn't deny you anything." Nathan grinned.

**  
  
Brooke pushed back her hat, looking out the window. "Hey guys, 12 more miles till Emerald Bay, then the party can get started." Leaning out the window, she whooped in happiness.

Peyton smiled at Luke. "I brought a little something along," she whispered in his ear.

Luke shivered, not from the cold, from the strange tingling that shot down his spine. A flash of something liquefied his insides.

Sliding a glance over at Peyton out of the side of his eyes, he was shocked to think that he was having more than friendly feelings for Peyton. _We've been friends forever, how can I start having weird feelings now? Bizarre._

Sunlight poured down through the trees overhead. As Luke's truck pulled into the campsite. He saw the school bus and a swarm of teenagers that were in his class.

"Let's get this party started." Brooke shouted, high-fiving Peyton.

***  
  
**Your reviews inspired me to update sooner than I had planned on. Keep 'em coming and I will keep updating.**

Any suggestions for future chapters are appreciated. Mention them in a review or email me at **selene_romanov@hotmail.com**

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	3. Memories, Thoughts and Plans

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A little History for my story: Peyton, Luke and Brooke have been friends forever…think the Three Musketeers. Nathan and Haley have been friends and dating for the last three months. They all kind of hang out together. Peyton and Brooke are on the cheerleading squad. Nathan and Luke are on the basketball team (obviously)!!! Haley is tutor/part-time cheerleader (alternate, when needed)!!!

THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!

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"Attention." Whitey shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Will all the girls get on the left and the boys on the right. The point of this camping trip is to have fun, but also to be safe. So the girls' tents will over here" he pointed to a cluster of trees near the water. "The boys' tents will be over there" he pointed to a clearing on the other side of the campfire pits near the water.

The boys groaned. Some smirked. Others jeered Whitey.   
  
The girls smiled. Some pouted. Others cheered Whitey.

"The first order of business is to set up camp, and then we'll start making dinner." Whitey ordered.

Haley walked over to Nathan's car to grab her duffel bag and sleeping bag. She turned around to look at Nathan, poking him lightly in the chest. "That's too bad Scott. I'd hoped to spend the night snuggled with you in our sleeping bag. But if you're a good boy, maybe I'll sneak over to your tent."   
  
Hoisting her duffel over one shoulder and her sleeping bag under her other arm, she set off for the cluster of trees. She left Nathan with his mouth hanging open.

"Might want to shut that mouth, it's not very sexy." Haley winked saucily at him.

****  
  
Brooke followed Luke as he carried her duffel and sleeping bag to the cluster of other girls.

"Thanks Luke." Winking at him, she turned to start unrolling her sleeping bag.

Peyton struggled along with her duffel and sleeping bag. Luke stopped and offered to help her.

"That's okay Luke. Thanks, remember come by my tent later. I brought something fun." She whispered into his ear.

****  
  
**9 pm**

The sun slowly sank behind the mountains, leaving soft pinks and dark blues in its passing.

Nathan bit into his hotdog, smothered with mustard and ketchup. His other arm around Haley as she burrowed into his warmth. 

People sat around the fire. Some looking at the beauty of the sunset, others gossiping. Teachers sat by the water's edge talking quietly amongst themselves.

Luke sat with Jake and Tim talking about the Raven's last game and how they'd stomped over their competition.   
  
Peyton sat on a log down by the water. Her drawing pad in hand as she sketched the mountains and the lake.

A cold wind whistled through the fire, flowing past the teenagers into the dark forbidden trees. 

******

Brooke burrowed beneath her jacket and shivered. Leaves whispered past her on the trail as she walked back to camp. The trees overhead seemed so dark and scary. The fire at the end of the trail, seemed to stretch further and further away out of her reach.

Branches seemed like skeletal hands overhead that were reaching out to claim her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. A sense of fear trickled down her spine.

Wrapping her arms more tightly around herself, she broke into a jog back to camp. As she broke into the clearing. She could've sworn that something touched her. She turned but saw nothing.

She raced over to where Peyton was sitting. Her eyes were glassy with fear, her hands cold in shock.

Peyton put down her sketch. "Oh my god, Brooke, what's wrong?"  
  
"I don't know. I just felt like something was chasing me in the woods. It was so creepy Peyton. I don't ever want to go back in there alone." She buried her head in Peyton's shoulder. Fear wracked her body.

Luke had come over. "Brooke, Peyton what's wrong?"  
  
"Brooke just got a little scared in the woods." Peyton said, as Brooke pulled back.

Brooke reached out to the log and traced the wood as her mind raced back through memory.

"When I was a little girl. I got lost in the woods and I wasn't found till the next morning. I was so scared and being in there, just reminded me of that." Brooke buried her head in Luke's shoulder.  
  
Luke wrapped his arms around her. "I would never let anything happen to you." Luke kissed her hair softly.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled the scent that was Brooke. Part strawberry passion fruit, part au natural, part musk. All Brooke.

Peyton looked on as Luke comforted Brooke. _We're all friends. Right. _Her eyebrows creased as she questioned that.

__

Are we all still friends? Or have things changed? Her eyes darkened in confusion.

She looked at Brooke. _Would it really come to jeopardizing our friendship if I have more than friendly feelings for Luke? _Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Brooke nestled in Luke's arms.

__

Or…. I could just get rid of Brooke. A smirk lit up Peyton's face. _Who knows what can happen out in these woods? Especially for one who has a phobia of dark places, like Brooke. _

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11pm

  
Water lapped at the shoreline, quietly. The trees shifted lightly in the breeze as the moon rose slowly over the lake.   
  
"Gather round all, time for some ghost stories." Whitey called out to the group.

Girls and guys gathered around the campfire. Nathan sat with Haley in the dirt. Her head on his shoulder as she played with his sweater.

Luke sat on a log with Brooke on one side and Peyton on the other. His arm around Brooke's waist, her head on his shoulder. Peyton sat with her sketch pad, as she tried to capture the essence of the fun-filled night.

After many scary tales, Whitey announced it was time for bed. "No sneaking around, I have eagle eyes and will see all that goes on."   
  
Everyone headed for their tent/sleeping bag for a _good night sleep_.

***  
  
**Your reviews inspired me to update sooner than I had planned on. Keep 'em coming and I will keep updating.**

Any suggestions for future chapters are appreciated. Mention them in a review or email me at selene_romanov@hotmail.com

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After your suggestions in prior reviews, I am leaning towards making this a Brucas. Only time will tell, though……………

Love y'all!!! ;)


	4. Musical Beds & Horrific Dawn Discoveries

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THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!

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Haley opened her eyes to stare blankly at the sky above her. Anthracite woven through with silver shining stars that beckoned to her from far above. 

Closing her eyes, she dreamed.

Three feet away in another sleeping bag, lay Brooke. Navy sweatpants and a black Ravens sweatshirt that Luke had lent her for the night. Brooke snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag. Her ears attuned to every sound that emanated from the woods. Her fear of the darkness ate at her, spreading through her body like a plague.

Silver tears streaked down her pale cheeks, like ice on pale marble. She heard something loud, then soft -what sounded like-footsteps, moving closer towards her.

Wiping a hand across her face, to hide the tears, the external evidence of her fear. She wriggled out of her sleeping bag and crept like a wraith through the night to the boys' side of the campground.

Pulling back Luke's tent flap, she crept inside. Seeing his shock of golden hair lying translucently in the dim moonlight, almost relaxed her. 

  
Then she heard a whistle on the wind, that sounded like her name. Sliding the zipper of Luke's bag down, she slowly crept into his sleeping bag, when she was halfway in. Luke woke up.

"What are you doing?" he asked sleepily.

"There's something out there, I was scared, please don't make me go away." Brooke snuggled closer to Luke.

"No of course not," Luke mumbled still half-asleep. Moving back, so she could move into the sleeping bag more. Brooke managed to fit herself in, the narrow bag. Sliding the zip up, she settled down to share Luke's pillows.

Luke felt every curve of her body outlined against his harder more masculine body. Her back was snug against his chest, her legs intermingled with his. Her soft brown hair flowed over his spare pillow.   
  
He propped himself up on one elbow to watch her as she slept. Gently, her back rose and fell as she inhaled and exhaled. 

Luke wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close and shut his eyes.

****

3am

Peyton opened her eyes, looking around at the beauty that was hidden by the darkness.

Her eyes narrowed, as she saw Brooke's empty sleeping bag. _I wonder where she is? In Luke's tent._

Quietly, Peyton unzipped her sleeping bag and moved over towards the boys' side of camp. As she crept towards the huddle of tents, a flashlight shone in her face.

"Going somewhere Miss Sawyer?" Ms. Warner asked her.   
  
"To the bathroom, I just got a little sidetracked, it's so dark out here." Peyton smiled her stupid smile, hoping the teacher would buy it.

"Well that's understandable, just stay near the water. Your outhouse is over by those cluster of trees, here you can borrow my flashlight?" Ms. Warner handed her the flashlight. "Off you go."  
  
Peyton turned around, heading for the outhouse. Sticking her tongue out at Ms. Warner's back, she made her way back to her tent.

****

5am

Nathan opened his eyes and stretched. Pulling back the flap of his tent, he looked out at the gray sky as dawn approached.

Pulling his sweatpants off, revealing his navy shorts. He tossed his pants onto his sleeping bag. Grabbing his walkman, he set it to the song that he was craving to listen to.

Setting off down the beach, he towards the dawn as it flowed over the mountains. Soft pinks that reminded him of Haley's sweetness and pale oranges.

Beating his head to the rhythm he closed his eyes to savor the sweet morning air.   
  
His head lifted to the rising sun as it came over the mountains. He tripped over something large, causing him to fall to the ground.

Closing his eyes against the pain that wracked through his body. He gripped his leg, feeling for pain.

He opened his eyes and saw a sheet covered in dark stains bound with rope. He smelled something fishy-literally.

Grabbing his walkman, he ran back to camp.

****

5:24am

Brooke opened her eyes to see Luke watching her.

"Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I just got creeped out by the sounds I was hearing in the woods." Brooke tried to explain.

"Don't worry about it. What are friends for?" Luke pulled her close for a hug. His heart beat a little faster as he drew her closer for a hug.

Brooke wrapped her arms around him, thankful that he was her friend and that he didn't find her fear troublesome or funny, like others had.

The flap of the tent was pulled aside, a sleepy Haley looked in at them. "Hey guys, the teachers are doing a head count, cause Nathan found something on the beach. So hurry." She dropped the flap of the tent.

Brooke shivered. "What could Nathan have possibly found, a dead body?" she joked.

"Let's hope not." Luke unzipped the sleeping bag and was in the process of changing his sweatshirt when another head popped into the tent.

  
"So this is where you went last night?" Peyton eyed Luke's body as his head was caught in the hood of his sweatshirt.

Brooke watched Peyton eye Luke as if he were candy, and she was salivating to take a bite.

"Whitey's getting pretty frantic, so hurry up." Winking at Brooke, she dropped the flap of the tent.

Brooke took Luke's outstretched hand as he stepped out of the tent.

"Mr. Scott, Miss Davis, nice of you to join us." Whitey's sarcastic tones weren't lost on Brooke or Luke.

Luke turned a sheepish red. "Sorry."  
  
Brooke kept her fingers linked with Luke's as they walked over toward Nathan and Haley.

****

6:13 a.m. 

"The police have been called and will be out here shortly, until then, everyone is to please stay off the east side of the beach." Whitey closed his cell phone.

Haley nestled into Nathan's arms. "That is so creepy that you found that on the beach. Especially if it is someone's body." Shivering, she wrapped her arms tighter around Nathan's shoulders.

****

7:25 a.m.

The sun was still low over the lake. Reflecting the mountains, surrounding trees and the beach. The police had come and gone, police tape marked off the site where the body had been discovered.

"We are not to go down on the east side of the beach. You are free to go about your business and we will reconvene in front of the fire at nine." Whitey announced.

Peyton sat on a log in front of the waves as they crashed against the shoreline, sketching the scenery.

Brooke was rifling through her bag. 

Haley and Nathan sat entwined in Nathan's tent. 

Lucas had gone for a walk in the woods.

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Hope you liked this update. Next update: April 22


	5. A Dream

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THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!

7:40 a.m.

Haley shivered, leaning back into Nathan as she pondered the events of the last few hours. "That must've been so horrible for you, finding that body."

"Yeah it was." Nathan relived the memory again, shuddering inwardly.

"Well what now?" Haley ran her fingers lightly down Nathan's arm, tracing his muscle as it flexed.

****

7:55 a.m.

Brooke snuggled deeper in Lucas's sleeping bag, trying not to think of the dead body that had been laying on the beach all night. Closing her eyes, she struggled against the inward pull that demanded her surrender to the darkness.

Thoughts clouded her mind wanting her to relive the terror that threatened to consume her whole.

Her mind focused on what it had felt like last night to be in Luke's arms. _I felt so safe and warm, I've never felt like that before._

Slowly, she faded into a light doze then plunged into a deep sleep. Unaware of the tent flap being pulled back, eyes narrowed as they watched the light fall of Brooke's chest as she slept on.

****

8:30 a.m.

Luke walked back down the path towards camp. The trees overhead shone bright silhouetted by the sunlight.

Raking a hand through his blond locks, he thought about last night and sleeping in the same sleeping bag as Brooke. It had just felt right. _Does that mean I like more than as a friend?_

Rough dirt crumbled beneath his sneakers as he moved quickly down the path. A cool breeze whispered through the trees.

As he walked back into the clearing of the camp. He saw various groups of teens clustered together, no doubt talking about what happened this morning. He saw Peyton sitting alone on the log still drawing.

He didn't see Brooke anywhere. Walking to his tent, he lifted the flap and stopped in his movements. 

**__**

Beautiful.

Dark chocolate hair spread like silk over his pillow.

Pale delicate hands clutched the pillow as if they were holding onto a lifeline.

Lucas dropped to his knees, slowly with his hand outstretched, he traced her delicate cheekbone. As if in a trance, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Brooke opened her eyes slowly to see Luke above her. Touching her gently. She stared up at him, unsure of what to do.

Tender emotion flashed in his eyes as he watched her.

His head lowered until his lips were a breath away from hers.   
  
She parted her lips, waiting for him to kiss her. A loud voice jarred her.

Brooke opened her eyes to see Luke staring at her, holding the tent flap in his hand. Rubbing her eyes with her hands, a sheepish look came over her face.

  
  
"I'm sorry Luke……..I just wanted somewhere quiet to sleep where no one would bother me." She looked down at the pillow. 

"It's okay Brooke. What are friends for anyway." Luke extended a hand to help her up.

"Whitey's calling a meeting, it's nine o'clock now." Luke grabbed his sweatshirt, a chill was in the air now.

"That's what woke me from my dream," Brooke whispered to herself.

"What were you dreaming about?" Luke asked, pulling the sweatshirt over his head.

  
  
"Nothing." A red blush coated her cheekbones as she looked at him. Avoiding his piercing gaze, she looked out at the water. 

"Okay." Luke followed her lead as she moved towards the meeting around the pit where the fire was last night.

  
  
**  
Sorry for the delay, have had a mental block lately. Next chapter will be up within the week!!!! **


	6. Lights Out

Peyton watched Brooke and Luke as they sat on the log, like adolescents with their first crush. Rolling her eyes, she looked out onto the lake, taking in the exceptional beauty.

Tuning out Whitey as he announced whatever he was going to do. She watched Brooke as she pensively touched Luke on the arm and pointed at something.   
  
Her eyes narrowed as Luke gently laughed. Her eyes flared, emerald sparks fusing a fire that would've scorched anyone within reach, as Luke linked hands with Brooke.

Slamming her sketchbook shut, she tuned back in to realize that Whitey had told everyone to get ready for a game of Capture the Flag in the woods.

Peyton smiled as she saw that Brooke was on the other side and Luke was on her team. As the teams walked into the woods, they separated onto their sides.Nathan followed Haley as she walked deep into the trees, reaching out, he grabbed her hand and led her down a path where no one was likely to follow.Brooke walked down a path and soon she could no longer hear any voices at all. Trees overhead rustled, crows cawed overhead as if mocking her.

Turning to one side, she swallowed nervously. As she turned back around, in front of her stood a figure cloaked in black.   
  
Big metal boots led up to a black cloak, a hat hid its features. Brooke screamed as loud as she could. Her feet froze for a second, then as the creature moved towards. She turned and ran in the other direction.

Luke followed Peyton as she led him deeper into the woods. "Peyton where are we going?"  
  
"Where we can be alone." She turned and shot him a seductive smile."No Peyton, we're just friends, besides I think we should go look for Brooke. You know she's scared of the woods." Luke turned to go back in the other direction.

Something hit him hard on the side of the head. As he hit the ground, he saw a shovel lying on the ground.

He faded into the shades of unconsciousness.

**_More soon………….._**


	7. Trapped

**Thanks for all the reviews!! Love you guys!!!**

Peyton stared in shock at the dark cloaked figure that had knocked Luke out. Cold fear raced through her body, chills tingled down her spine. She looked at it and then at Luke and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

Bushes got in her way, scratching her arms and legs. Like skeletal fingers clamoring for her soul to drag her back into hell.

She screamed as loud as she could. A group of teachers materialized out of the bushes and came towards her.

Peyton stuttered over her words.

Whitey stepped forward, shaking her slightly. "Peyton, slowly, tell us what happened?"  
  
"There was a tall thing in a cloak and it hit Luke over the head with a shovel and it looked at me……..and I ran away. I didn't know what else to do." Her eyes widened in fear as she stared at the trees from whence she'd come.

Nathan hugged Haley closer, they sat on the log staring out at the lake. They'd come back early from the game just to spend some time together.

A group of people raced out of the woods, Whitey at the head. Nathan sensed something was up. He raced over to Whitey.

"What's wrong?"   
  
"Lucas is missing, something hit him over the head and dragged him into the woods and it's all my fault." Peyton cried out.

"Calm down Peyton it's not your fault." Whitey put an arm on her shoulder and tried to comfort her.

"We need every available cell phone right now. Hand them over to the teachers. We need to get as many people out here as we can and the police." Whitey ordered.

Nathan felt a trickle of fear crawl down his spine at the thought of Lucas out there somewhere alone and scared. "I want to help," he said to Whitey.

Whitey looked at him in shock.

"He's my brother." Nathan turned to look out at the lake.

"Where's Brooke?" Peyton's scared voice rose out of the crowd.

Whitey looked around and saw no sign of the sassy cheerleader. "I don't know." A coldness cloaked him. He looked up as the sun went behind a cloud shrouding them in shadows.

"I don't know." Sounding defeated.

Cell phones were activated and parents were called. Whitey made the dreaded phone call to Karen.

Her assurance that she would be out there right away, only heightened the rising fear in his gut.

Can't possibly be Peyton………….who could it be? Not who you think it is!!! Plz R&R!!! Thanks for all the reviews!!!!


	8. Searching

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A/N: Due to rampant reviews wanting a Leyton, I will give you what you want!!! Thanks for the reviews!!!

Brooke looked over her shoulder and saw nothing behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she came into a clearing.   
  
She saw groups of her teens clustered around the fire where something seemed to be happening.

"What's going on?" Brooke asked someone as she got closer to the group.

"Lucas is missing. We're organizing search parties." Brooke froze in shock. _Lucas is missing. _Looking fearfully at the woods, she trembled under the slight breeze.

Peyton watched Brooke's face as she heard about Lucas missing. Rolling her eyes, she relived the memory of seeing that thing drag Lucas away.

As cars arrived, people poured out of vehicles and towards their children. Secret hugs were given, a need to touch and reaffirm that all was well.

Dan Scott pulled up in his car. Jumping out of the car, he sprinted over to Nathan to make sure that he was okay.

"You know with that kid's luck, he probably got himself lost on purpose." Dan scoffed, under the illusion that Luke was simply missing, not knowing he'd been kidnapped.

"You bastard, how dare you talk about my son like that. He was hit over the head and dragged into the woods by some psycho, Peyton saw it. So don't you dare talk about Lucas like that." Karen yelled at him. Her face flushed with the heat of her anger. Her eyes bright with rage.

"Hey don't forget I'm his father, I do care." Dan tried to save his ass.

"Yeah, you cared so much, that you abandoned us." Karen's eyes flashed hurtfully at him. Turning her back on him, she moved towards Whitey to hear any updates.

Various groups spread out to look for Lucas. The sun was hidden behind a huge puffy layer of clouds. They seemed to darken every minute, impending rain threatened.

Karen followed Whitey who followed Peyton as she led them back to where Luke was hit over the head.

When they arrived at the spot, Peyton looked around and saw nothing. It was like they'd never been there before.

Dan led up another group they were walking in the opposite direction. His mind drifted back to his fight with Karen. He truly felt bad, he hadn't known Lucas had been hit over the head.   
  
Rain spattered down around them. Pulling up his sport coat collar, he tried to keep out the rain. No luck. Following the path as it weaved around the lake, he kept his eyes and ears open.

Karen grew anxious as time passed, every second that elapsed was the trail growing colder and the chance of finding him.

Raindrops fell, darkening her spirit, horrific images flew through her mind.

**I know it's short, but more updates soon!!! I promise!!!!**


	9. Nobody's Home

**A/N: Due to rampant reviews, this will be a Brucas!! Sorry for the Leyton fans!! Thanks for the awesome reviews!!!  
  
**Brooke followed at the end of the group that Dan Scott led, her mind clouded with images. Not looking where she was going, she tripped over a branch. Cursing softly she brushed off her denim jeans and looked ahead of her on the trail.

No one was there. "Great now where the hell did everyone go?" Rolling her eyes, she moved off down a side path off the trail, following a feeling in her gut.

Her eyes looked skyward, rain was pelting down in huge wet drops, soaking her clothes. Pulling her hood up over her head, she ran down the path, not looking where she was going.   
  
A wooden cabin loomed in front of her. A chill ran down her spine. Terror gripped her in its clutches.

Moving quickly and silently, she sprinted up onto the porch and looked into the windows. It looked abandoned, she walked down to the side where a door was. Turning the knob, it opened in her hands.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. The cabin was barren of furnishings, empty space consumed the rooms. Closing the door, Brooke moved towards another closed door. Ready to flee at the slightest odd sound.

Opening the door, she saw another empty room, there was another door. She moved towards it, as she opened her. Her breath exhaled rapidly, Lucas lay on the ground. A blindfold covered his eyes, ropes bound his wrists and ankles. She would know that shock of golden hair anywhere.

Closing the door, she flicked on the light bulb switch, leaning down she removed the blindfold. His eyes were shut, her fingers worked speedily at the ties binding his ankles and wrists.   
  
When she had them off, her hands moved over him feeling for anything she could interpret as broken.

"Lucas." She whispered in his ear. He stirred slowly. His eyes opened, dazed and confused. Then reality settled in.

"You have to get out of here, now, before he finds you." His scratchy voice punctured her confidence.

Her fears swooped in on her. Shaking her head to dispel them. "No, we have to go now. Everyone is looking for you." Tugging at his hand, she pulled him to his feet.

"If I go, people will die." Lucas's scratchy voice touched Brooke's burgeoning fear, she tamped it down and dragged Luke out of the closet.

Once they cleared the cabin and were in the woods. "What happened?" Brooke asked.

"Not now, we have to get out of here." Lucas moved quickly down the path. He kept looking over his shoulder.

"But…" was silenced by Luke's terror-stricken face.

"If you want to live, we have to go now." Luke told her.

They faded into the deep forest. A dark presence watched their departure.

**Short I know, updates soon.**


	10. Darkness

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A/N: Definitely a BRUCAS, no more questions about that. Thanks for all the reviews!! You guys rock!!!

Luke and Brooke burst into the clearing where a fire was burning. A cluster of teens stood around the warmth, trying to heat themselves up.

Luke ran toward the fire and where all the people were. Brooke trailed after him.

The darkness seemed to close in on Luke, he turned his head to see where Brooke was. His foot hit something hard, Luke went sprawling. Putting his hands out to brace himself.

He hit the ground, his head hit something hard. Blackness rushed up at him. Fading away into unconsciousness. Luke floated away.

"Oh my god Lucas." Brooke's scream tore through the cold dark night.

Everyone grouped around the fire turned around. Whitey ran over followed by Karen and Dan.

Lucas lay on the ground, not moving. "Where did you find him?" Karen knelt by Lucas, touching him reverently.

"He was in a cabin in the woods….will someone please call 911, Lucas is hurt and he needs help." Brooke looked at everyone, they just stared back at her.

"Are you people stupid?" Brooke looked at them. Their blank expressions freaking her out. "Lucas is hurt," she screamed at them.

"Calm down, Lucas will be fine." Karen patted Brooke's shoulder. Her eyes focused on Dan's.

Brooke cradled Lucas's still head in her lap. She felt for his pulse, thank god it was strong and steady. "Can you help me move him near the fire?" she asked Karen.

"Of course." Karen looked at Dan, who moved forward to put Luke near the fire.

Brooke stepped forward, she sat by the fire and cradled Luke's head in her lap.

Remembering Luke's last words to her. _If I go, people will die….._

Brooke looked down at the silent Luke. _What happened, when we stepped out of that closet……………_ she stared out at the dark water.

The cluster of people around her continued to talk as if nothing spectacular had happened.

****

Well what'd you think…………..Plz R&R!!! Updates Very Soon!!!

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	11. All Alone

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Thanks for all the reviews!!! You guys rule!!!

Water lapped quietly at the lake's edge, as Brooke huddled in the sleeping bag moving closer to Luke.

Opening her eyes, she noticed dawn was approaching as the waning twilight dissipated. She squinted to look around more. Her eyes noticed something weird, there were no bags or cars or anything near her.

It was as if she and Luke were the only ones here. _Where did everyone go? _Looking down at Luke, she forgot her fears for a second. Her hands itched to race through his golden shock of beautiful hair.

Nudging him softly, she tried to wake him up. He moaned softly, his hand moving, tracing Brooke's arm softly.

Brooke stopped nudging him. His eyes opened slowly. Brooke came into focus, right away.

"Hey." A soft glow came over his face as he looked at her.

"That is every guy's first word the morning after, if he's in a good mood." Brooke joked.

"Yeah?" Luke looked up at her, arching a brow questioningly.

"I have something to tell you, now you have to try not to freak out." Brooke tried to brace him gently for the shock that was to come.

"What?" Luke leaned back with his hands propping his head up.

"Last night, you were kidnapped by something in the woods, I found you in a closet in a cabin and when we left the cabin, you told me that if you left that closet we would die and then once we left the cabin, you told me, that we had to go or people would die. Anyway, that's not the weird thing, when we finally got back to camp, you tripped over a rock and hit your head, you blacked out. The weird thing is that out of all the people there, no one would help you." Brooke took a deep breath.

"What you mean, is when I blacked out, no one would help by calling for help?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, isn't that weird?" Brooke looked at him.

"Yeah, I don't know. All I remember is being in that closet, in the dark and that's it. I don't remember leaving the cabin or tripping or any of it, except waking up here with you now." Luke admitted to her.

"Okay. Well what are we supposed to do, everyone is gone, it's like they were never even here." Brooke asked him.

"Why don't we worry about that later." Luke pulled her closer. Lifting a hand, he traced her forehead down to her cheek. His eyes holding hers. He moved in, his lips touched hers. Warm, wet and electrifyingly hot.

Brooke's head swam with the reaction to his kiss. Her hands linked behind his had to deepen the angle.

They were so caught up in each other, they were unaware of the dark figure moving closer to their sleeping bag.

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Short I know, updates soon!!!


	12. Who am I?

**Thanks for all the reviews!!  This chapter is a bit longer.  Enjoy!!!**

Brooke moved her head to the side of Luke's neck to nibble on his ear, when she saw a black figure approaching.  "Lucas, it's back… the thing that hit you over the head."  Her eyes full of terror as she continued to stare at whatever was behind him.

Luke unzipped the sleeping bag and turned around, it stood about ten feet away, staring at him.

Holding out his hand to Brooke, he helped her to her feet, watching the figure for any sudden movements.  "We have to get back that cabin, we're in some other kind of reality."

Brooke looked at him questioningly.  "What do you mean?"

"Look up."    
  
Brooke tilted her head back to see that the sky had turned a deep scarlet, there wasn't any blue to be seen.  The sun wasn't in sight, the world reflected a scarlet hue, making everything seem blood red.

"Let's go."  Brooke whimpered, her grip tightening on Luke's sleeve.

Luke backed away from the figure as it pulled a silver axe from behind its back.  Running its gloved hand over the sharp edge, it looked at Brooke as it continued to caress the sharp blade.

Brooke squeaked in fear.  Lucas pushed her towards the trees, "run now, run for your life."

Brooke started sprinting, moving her legs as fast as she could.  Luke held her hand as he ran beside her.  The black figure followed them, moving quickly and stealthily like a shadow.

Lucas veered around a corner and off the path into the foliage.  He grabbed Brooke and they rolled down a slight embankment into a shallow valley.  Putting his hands to his lips, he silenced her.

Brooke nodded.  Her eyes full of fear and scanning the area they were hiding in.  Her eyes focused on something behind Lucas, that dilated her pupils and caused her to freeze in terror.

Lucas put a hand over her mouth and turned to look behind him.

Peyton.  Her eyes open in death.  A grimace of terror frozen on her face.  She was stiff and cold.

Lucas moved Brooke so she couldn't see the body.  He felt the tremors running through her body.

"Shh, it's okay, I'll never let you go.  I promise."  Lucas kissed her forehead and held her tighter to emphasize his vow.

The ground creaked as the figure in black walked slowly down the path, that was only feet away from where Brooke and Luke lay hidden in the shallow valley.

Leaves cracked as the figure continued to move down the trail.  After five minutes of waiting.  Luke hesitantly moved and dragged Brooke out of the valley.

"We have to go, now which way is the cabin?" Looking into her eyes, he tried to get her to focus.    
  
Brooke took a deep breath, trying to ignore the fact that she'd just seen her best friend lying dead in a ditch, so cold and lifeless.

Sticking out her hand she pointed east.  "That way."  _I think  she_ added silently.

Grabbing her hand, Luke jogged down the path towards the cabin.

**  
A clearing beckoned** around the corner, there stood a wood structure, that looked like the same cabin, that she'd dragged Luke out of.

As they moved closer, the cabin burst into flames.  Brooke screamed in terror.  Her hands clutched her head as she tried to deny what was happening right in front of her eyes.

The black figure stepped out of the trees on the other side of the clearing.  Dragging a rope, at the other end of the rope was Haley.  Bound and gagged, she couldn't move. 

Lucas could only tell that she was alive, because she struggled against her bonds.  Her brown hair was matted with mud and leaves.    
  
He stepped forward to go help her.  The black figure pulled her up by her hair.  She was wearing a blindfold.

Pulling out a knife, it held the knife to her throat and slit her from ear to ear.  Blood gushed out like a raging river.

Lucas dropped to his knees, unable to accept what he'd just seen.  The black figure dropped Haley to the ground, along with the knife.  Pulling out its axe, it moved towards Luke.  Its intentions obvious.

"You coward, at least show me who you are, so I know who I'm killing to avenge my best friend."  Luke shouted the words, his tone pent with rage, anger and hatred.

Lifting a hand, the killer removed the mask.

Brooke fell to the ground in shock.  Her eyes widened in horror.

Lucas rubbed his eyes, the killer still stood there.

Raising its axe, pointing it at Brooke. "Ready to die, sister."  

**Let me know what you think!! Plz R&R!!  Updates within the week.**


	13. Revelations and Reality

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Summary: The person is revealed as is the connection. Something happens, they go back to the normal reality…..all will be explained in time. No worries.

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A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!! Sorry for the delay in updates, I had finals all this week and was studying all weekend. I'm psyched that I cracked 100 reviews, all thanks to you guys.

****

Nathan's cold dead eyes blazed into Brooke's terrified ones. "How can you be my brother?" her frightened tone squeaked in the silence of trees.

"It's easy my mother and your father had a one night stand and we were the result, we're fraternal twins. My mother, the whore that she is, passed me off as her son and gave you to your father. We were never supposed to know the truth. They changed your birthday to make you three months younger." Nathan's eyes blazed with hatred as he looked at Brooke.

Brooke almost fell over from the shock. Thoughts raced through her head of the mother that she'd known, so cold and always ignoring her. _That was why, because I wasn't her daughter. Damn my father, damn him to hell…._ Brooke swore viciously. Her fear briefly forgotten in her moment of simultaneous anger and acceptance.

"That's why I'm going to kill you. That's why I had to kill everyone who knew our secret. Now you and Luke get to die, because you know." Nathan smiled manically.

"Nathan I'll never tell anyone, you have my word." Brooke swore profusely.   
  
"Now you're ashamed to have me as your brother, you should be grateful. You're just like your father, can't keep your pants zipped up." Nathan smirked at her.

Brooke froze, anger overpowered fear.

"No, but she is dead now, so she can't ever hurt anyone ever again." Nathan smiled cockily at the thought of his whorish mother dead, lying in a pool of her blood at the bottom of the cabin stairs, around back out of sight from where they stood.

"So you're going to kill everyone in the world, because they might know your secret." Brooke scoffed at the thought.

"I'll kill who I deem fit."

"Whatever, I'm going to find the cabin, so we can get the hell out of here." Brooke grabbed Luke's wrist and moved away from Nathan.   
  
A rumble shook the ground. Brooke grabbed onto Luke for support. Nathan's axe fell to the ground.

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Brooke shook her sleek hair out of her face and yawned as her alarm clock blared at her. Pushing back her comforter, she slid her feet into her slippers and padded to the bathroom to have a shower.

__

I can't believe it's time to go back to school so soon, that camping trip to Emerald Bay went by too soon. I'm so glad we found Luke, he was lost and wandering around. Although that dead body that Nathan found was creepy…..wait a minute…

Brooke stopped brushing her teeth as bits and pieces of her dream came back to her. _Nathan and I were related, fraternal twins…..how creepy is that._

Brooke laughed at her reflection. Stripping off her pj's she walked into the shower to get ready for another day at Tree Hill High.

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Short I know, updates within the week!! I Promise!!!!


	14. Hallway Horrors

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A/N: I know I promised updates within the week, I've been stumbling behind writer's block for this story. Here's the update, hope you like!!!

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Brooke walked to her first class, her cute pink backpack slung over one shoulder. Her brown hair swayed from side to side, as she approached the school entrance.

Peyton ran across the lawn clad in her usual artsy outfit towards Brooke. "Didn't this weekend totally rock?" was yelled across the lawn.

"Yeah, mostly aside from the dead body and my fear of the dark forest" _and that weird dream I had, where Nathan was my brother._ Brooke looped her arm through Peyton's as they headed off to the school together.

"So let me tell you about this weird dream I had last night" their voices trailed off as they wandered further away towards the school.

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Lucas opened his eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight pouring through his window. His curtains were pulled wide open, _Mommy dearest before she left for the café, no doubt._ His alarm clock glared 9:34 at him, _my first class starts at 10:07, the joys of English literature._ Lucas rolled his eyes and reluctantly got out of bed.

Stretching, he strolled towards his mirror, feeling like something had changed and yet wondering what it was.

He looked the same, last night he'd had a weird dream involving Brooke, a sleeping bag, a cabin and Nathan. Rolling his eyes, he strolled into the bathroom to have a shower.

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Nathan lay his head on the cool surface of the desk in the library as he waited for Haley to arrive, his head was throbbing. He was sweating and feeling nauseous, maybe he could just go home and go to bed.

Last night he had many weird dreams, one involving being in the woods carrying an axe, hunting people down and killing them. Another involving Brooke and Lucas and another involving ….._no I can't think about that again….it was so horrible._

Nathan closed his eyes and waited for Haley's reassuring touch to his forehead.

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Haley dashed down the hall towards the library, her books keeping her hands full, she didn't see where she was going until it was too late. She collided with someone, her books went flying.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there, are you okay?" her breathy words fell on dead ears.

Haley stopped talking to look down at the ground and when she did, she saw the person was not moving. A pool of scarlet liquid was seeping out from underneath the body. Haley covered her mouth with her hand and fought her reflex to gag.

Her eyes scanned the silent hallway, her pupils dilated as she looked around for anyone who could tell her that she wasn't just seeing things and that there really was a dead body on the ground.

Backing up, she turned to run in the opposite direction, when a rough hand grabbed her arm. "Not so fast, Miss James, I do believe you win the special prize for discovering my secret."   
  
Haley gasped in shock at the identity of the person. "I have to go, I'm meeting someone."  
  
"Not so fast." Pulling out a pair of handcuffs, Haley was cuffed to the dead person's wrist. Forced to follow as the person dragged the student corpse down a nearby stairwell into the dark school basement.

She struggled not to scream. As she descended into the pits of hell, her footsteps grew fainter as she was led through the maze of the basement. Her mind pleaded for Nathan to find her. She focused on him, his image in her mind. _Should I never see the light of day again, I wish only that Nathan knows how much I love him._

A single solitary tear rolled down her cheek as she was led into a dark cold room deep in the basement, still handcuffed to a dead corpse.

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Lucas walked over to see a young man with dark hair, sleeping at a desk in the library, his skin unusually pale under the luminescent light.

Seeing that it was Nathan, he tapped him on the shoulder. "Haley." Nathan mumbled.

Luke felt Nathan's neck, it was covered in sweat, he was shivering and his eyes were moving wildly under the lids.

"Help someone call 911, my brother needs an ambulance." Lucas half supported Nathan as they walked him outside to wait for an ambulance.

"Haley…." Nathan moaned.

"What?" Lucas leaned closer to listen.

"You have to find Haley, help her, she's in trouble." Nathan coughed as he was put on the stretcher and lifted into the ambulance.

"Haley, where is she?" Lucas wondered.

"Oh my god, Lucas, what's going on?" Brooke and Peyton stood arm-in-arm by the school entrance.

"Nathan's really sick, he had to be taken to the hospital. Have either of you seen Haley this morning?"   
  
"No, we were in English, when we heard the sirens. Is Nathan going to be okay?" Peyton asked, concern marking her tone, her eyes a bit darker than they had been a few minutes ago.

"I don't know, but he told me to find Haley, I think maybe she's in trouble. One of you has to come with me and one of you has to go the hospital with Nathan." Lucas looked at them.

"I'll go the hospital with Nathan and I'll phone his dad," Peyton flinched at the last part.

"Okay, Brooke let's go, we have to find Haley." Lucas grabbed her arm and dragged her back into the school.

As they rushed past an unmarked door and around the corner. The door eased open and man slid out of the entrance and shut the door.

Whistling lightly, he walked down the hall. Smiling to himself evilly, _I have a new prisoner, sweet Haley is mine._

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I know it's been so long and I am so horrible for saying I'd update but I could not figure out where to take this story now, hope you like the new twist. Plz R&R!!!  
  
Updates by July 19!!!


	15. Love Revealed

Thanks to all my reviewers. Hope you like this chapter.

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Lucas rounded up a bunch of guys and girls, "Listen up we have to find Haley, she's in trouble, search the entire school."  
  
People scattered in every direction. Lucas had a bad feeling in his gut about Haley. _I hope she's hiding somewhere studying and not in trouble._

Brooke held his hand, supporting him. "Lucas I'm here for you, whatever you need." Brooke looked into his eyes, her feeling for him shining through.

Lucas was blinded by his overwhelming gut instinct that something was wrong with Haley and concerned about Nathan to notice her love shining through for him. "Thanks Brooke, you're a great friend."  
  
Brooke flinched at the last word, _friend, that's all I'll ever be to him._ A lone tear trickled down her cheek, her tongue flickered out tasting its saltiness.

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Peyton waited impatiently as the phone rang and rang, _Come on Mr. Scott where are you?_ Finally someone picked up the phone.

"Hello," a female voice purred. 

"Is Dan Scott there, his son is in the hospital and I need to talk to him immediately." Peyton said.

"One second," the phone was muffled and then Dan's rough voice came on the telephone.

"Nathan's in the hospital, who is this?" 

"It's Peyton Sawyer, he collapsed at school and has been taken to the hospital, I suggest you call his mother and come down here asap." Peyton hung up the phone and went back to the waiting room.

Pacing from wall to wall, her mind consumed with images of what was happening to Nathan in the emergency room.

Sitting in a chair, she buried her head in her hands, praying that Nathan would be okay. _I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him, Nathan means the world to me, I never got over him, I still love him.._

Frozen with her inner revelation, Peyton froze in shock, trying to process her thoughts.

From the south hallway ran Deb Scott with Keith Scott trailing behind her. Dan Scott strode down the north hallway towards her.

They met in the middle. Dan Scott smirked at Deb and Keith. "Taking my leftovers, big brother, since you couldn't get Karen, you decided to move onto my darling soon-to-be ex-wife."

"Keith and I are friends and I'm glad to be getting rid of you, you cheating bastard, who's your new bimbo now?" Deb snarled at him.

"People quiet, please. Your son and nephew is in the emergency room, so please shut up." Peyton yelled at them, her eyes flashing with rage, her face pale with anxiety.

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Haley opened her eyes, looking around all she saw were dim shadowy shapes, she knew she was in the basement, she just didn't know where. _I didn't even this school had a basement, but it's a creepy one._

The identity of her kidnapper shocked her. A dim light from above broke her thoughts. She looked up, it was a small narrow window. _If only I could somehow get up there, I would be able to get out._

Pushing herself up from the floor, she felt her way around the room. Various boxes lay discarded against the wall and strewn across the floor.

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Nathan struggled to open his eyes, voices from afar seemed to talk in slow motion.

Hurry, we need to stabilize him, there's something wrong with him. He seems to be slipping away. Fight Nathan, fight for your life.

Nathan listened to the voice, it was calm and soothing. He focused on it and felt himself floating to a bright white light.

No, we won't lost you.

Strong sparks flowed through his body. His heart started pumping again. He was pulled from the bright white light and thrust into a pool of cool soothing black depths.

Haley's face swam in front of him. _Nathan don't leave me, fight for your life, fight for us. I love you._ Her beautiful lips curved into a smile and then her image faded out.

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Brooke ran down the hallway back to the library where Lucas was holding command central, she almost tripped over a mop that was leaning against the wall.

Cursing whoever left it there, her gaze flickered over an unmarked door. Her curiosity peaked, she opened it. A flight of stairs leading down and an overwhelming sense of evil filled her senses.

Backing away, she slammed the door shut. Something slammed against her skull and she felt into a cool black pool of unconsciousness. Her last thought was of Lucas.

Catching the brunette as she fell into his arms. The kidnapper smirked, _another pretty girl to add to my collection. Brooke Davis, welcome to hell._

He opened the door, Brooke's limp body slung over his shoulder as he walked down the stairs, his eyes swept down the hallway as he closed the door, seeing no one he smiled happily.

Lucas watched from around the corner, unwilling to believe his eyes. That monster had just knocked Brooke out and carried off through that door. _If anything happened to her, he would kill the monster._

Lucas ran off down the hall to the gym to collect weapons and his army.

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Ok, I hope you like this chapter. I worked really hard on it. I wrote what came to mind, so plz R&R!!! Let me know what you think.


	16. Shadows of Death

Thanks to all my great reviewers, hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Brooke rubbed her head as she came to in the darkness, a soft voice poked at her brain. "Brooke, are you okay?" a hand gently touched her head.

"Haley is that you?" Brooke asked cautiously.

"Yeah. I've been down here for awhile I think." Shrugging her shoulders in the dark, she looked at Brooke.

"All I remember was running down the hallway to the cafeteria to tell Lucas something, because he's got the whole school looking for you, and something hit me on the head and I blacked out and woke up here." Brooke explained slowly, stumbling over her words. Her head really hurt, sharp shooting pains lashed out at her, her eyes could barely stay open. "I feel tired now, I'm going to go back sleep." Brooke nodded off and slipped into unconsciousness again.

Haley crawled over and held Brooke's head in her lap. _I hope that hit on her head doesn't cause a serious concussion, cause I don't think we'll be getting out of here anytime soon._

Closing her eyes, Haley prayed silently for someone to find them and for Nathan to be okay.

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Lucas ran into the gym, it was empty of people. _That's weird, I thought somebody would be in here, no time to waste, must find a weapon something to protect myself and rescue the girls._

Lucas strode into the storage room in the gym and saw a crowbar partially sticking out from behind a box. Grabbing that and a flashlight, he headed for the door to the basement and Brooke and Haley, if she was there too.

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Nathan slumbered in the cool silky black pool of unconsciousness, vaguely able to make out words that people were saying around him.

We almost lost him……he's now in a coma….we don't know what's wrong with him….only that he was extremely fatigued.

Nathan floated and felt calm for the first time in a while. _I hope Haley's okay now._

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Peyton paced back and forth anxiously as Deb and Keith sat on one side and Dan sat alone on the other side.

A doctor came out of the emergency. "Nathan Scott's family."  
  
Dan and Deb stood up.

"He's in a coma right now, we almost lost him in there for a second and then we got him back. We don't know what's wrong with him. All the tests are coming back fine, all we know is that he was extremely tired before this happened, so if you can think of anything that would help us pinpoint his condition, any weird actions you noticed from him in the last week?"  
  
"No." Dan said.

"No, he'd been fine." Deb said.

"Wait, there was one thing," Peyton spoke up. All eyes turned to her.

"We went on this camping trip this previous weekend and Nathan found a dead body and he tripped over it and he told me after he tripped over it, his leg started hurting really badly, and it went away after a few minutes, he was fine after that, that was the only weird thing, I could think of." Peyton lowered her head, praying that Nathan would make it.

"Thank you, young lady, you might have just saved your friend's life." The doctor turned and walked back to the emergency room.

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Haley held Brooke's head in her lap, softly stroking her hair, hoping Brooke would awaken again. The door opened slowly and the man walked into the room.

He looked at Haley and pulled her out from under Brooke roughly. "You're coming with me," he said roughly.

Brooke's limp body collapsed onto the pavement. "Wait you can't just leave her here, she's got a concussion, she needs medical attention," Haley pleaded with the man.

The soft clink of handcuffs was Haley's answer, "No," she screamed.

The click of the door as they left Brooke terrified Haley even more. She kicked out and screamed with all her strength. The man slapped her hard across the cheek and Haley fell silent. Tears streamed down her cheek.

The man thrust her against a wall at the bottom of the stairs leading back up to the school. The door at the top of the stairs opened and a young man with a shock of golden hair descended the stairs with a crowbar and a flashlight.

The man froze as he saw Lucas coming. Pushing Haley aside he vanished into the inky depths of the basement.

"Lucas." Haley yelled.

"Haley, is that you?" his flashlight zoomed in on her.

"You've got to help me, this man locked me in some room down here and then he got Brooke too and she's there all by herself right now and she has a concussion and needs help. The man you've got to call the police he's---------" she fainted from an anxiety attack as she stumbled over her words to identify the man.

Lucas caught her and carried her in his arms up the stairs and to safety. _I still have to find Brooke. _Itched at the back of his mind.

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Okay, I know, it took me forever to update and the next update might be a while in coming. Plz R&R.


	17. Deceptions of Reality

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Thanks to all loyal, new and lovely reviewers. Here's the new chapter.

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Luke carried Haley into the cafeteria and lay her down on the table, her eyes still closed from her faint.

"Haley you have to wake up. It's important." A nurse rushed over and pushed Luke out of the way.

"What happened?" her rapid fire questions shocked Luke into a succession of answers.

"I found her in the basement and she fainted on me." Luke's face contorted in fear as he remembered Haley's fainting act right before she could name the kidnapper.

"Damn it." He smashed his fist on the table beside where Haley lay.

"I have to call the ambulance, she needs to be taken to the hospital." The nurse rushed away leaving Luke alone with Haley.

"Come on Haley, please wake up I have to find Brooke." Luke whispered against her hair.

Haley opened her eyes slightly, "Luke it was ---" she whispered into his ear softly before falling back into a deep sleep.

"That bastard." Luke cursed, planning his next move.

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Brooke lay on the cold basement floor, her head was ringing loudly, she felt like she did when she had a nasty hangover.

"Who turned out the lights?" she said aloud to the empty room.

Sighing in pain, she slumped back into unconsciousness.

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"What's happening to my baby?" Deb paced anxiously as she waited for the doctor's word.

"Calm down Deb," Dan tried to draw her into his arms.

"Get away from me." Deb pushed him away.

Keith stood watching on the sidelines. Peyton sat in a chair with her head between her hands.

A gurney rolled past them. Keith jumped when he saw that Haley was on it, lying unconscious.

"What's wrong with her?" he ran after the emergency attendants.

"Sir we can't discuss this right now, she was found unconsciousness at the school, we have to take her to emergency right now." The man pushed the gurney through the doors and away from Keith.

Keith stood at the door and then went over to the phones to call Haley's parents.

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Nathan rolled from side to side in his skinny hospital bed. His eyes moved restlessly beneath the lids.

He was still unconscious and his condition hadn't changed and the doctors could find no explanation for his current situation.

"This is the weirdest case I've ever had." The doctor watched from the window as he surveyed Nathan sleeping.

The nurse nodded and then turned to walk down the hall.

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Luke grabbed his flashlight and crowbar and set off through the dark basement to find Brooke.

He turned to the right and opened every door that he came too. Silent footsteps followed him, watching and waiting.

When Luke came to a locked door, he hacked at the door, until it gave way. A slim brunette lay sprawled on the ground, her face pale and drawn against the flashlight.

Luke lay down the crowbar and leaned down to pick up Brooke. As gently as he could he slung her over his shoulder and picked up the flashlight to make his way out of the basement.

A blinding light seared his vision….._You can't leave this place not now. It is not time._

Luke fought against the pain thumping through his skull.

"I want out of here, let me pass." Lucas yelled into the darkness.

The light grew brighter enveloping him and Brooke. Lucas screamed in terror. He sunk to the ground, Brooke falling into his arms.

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A searing pain woke Haley out of her unconscious state. "Nathan where is he?" she pushed past the doctors and nurses.

Running down the hall in her paper gown she followed her gut instinct and found him hooked up to machines.

Reaching out she touched him, smoothing a lock of dark hair from his brow. His complexion was so pale.

Leaning down she kissed him softly on the lips as the doctors tore into the room after her.

"What are you doing?" they yelled at her.

"Saving his life." Haley defied them, hands on her hips, fury in her eyes.

"When in doubt, the kiss of true love will save a dying soul." Haley's eyes glimmered with tears as she watched Nathan's face fill with a pale rosy blush. His breathing slowed down and his signs stabilized.

The doctors stood there disbelieving what they were witnessing.

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Ok I know. Weird chapter. I'm toying with a twist in the story that could change everything. The "kidnapper" may or may not be revealed, they may or may not be a real person, they may be an illusion, that is TBD. Plz Read & Review!!!


	18. Scarlet Splutters, Hospital Horrors and ...

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Thanks for all the reviews, you guys rule. Hope you like this chapter.

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Peyton got out of her chair and walked to the bathroom that was down the hall and out of the way, she needed a little private time.  
  
Pushing her way into the bathroom, she walked up to the mirror and looked at her reflection, her eyes were pale and her complexion was wan.  
  
"Now that Haley's here, Nathan will be fine and forget all about me, even though I've been here since the beginning. I was his first and he was my first and I love him and he's mine." She cried to herself after her emotional outburst. Sitting on the floor, she buried her head in her hands and sobbed.

A creak of the door alerted her to someone else's presence. Looking up, a puzzled look crossed her face. "What are you doing here? Did you hear about Nathan?" her look turned to terror when a knife was pulled out of the man's jacket.

"What are you doing with that?" Peyton's eyes widened in fear. She backed into the counter in horror as the man advanced towards her.

He raised the knife and Peyton kicked out at him. Connecting with his knee, he grunted in reaction and Peyton tried to roll away from him. He grabbed her hair and stabbed her in the shoulder. Blood spurted out to gush on the floor. Peyton opened her mouth to scream and fell silent as he slashed her throat. Blood splashed against the wall marking Peyton's final artistic expression.

Blood dribbled down her neck and she slumped to the floor. A look of terror frozen on her face permanently.

The man backed out of the room leaving the body exactly where it lay in its final resting place.

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Luke opened his eyes and looked around. He was still in the basement at the bottom of the stairs, Brooke lay inches away from him, her complexion a ghostly white in the dim basement light.

"Brooke can you hear me?" Luke crawled over to her.

A soft moan answered him. "I have to get you out of here now." Luke said to himself and the darkness.

Struggling to stand up, he tried to support Brooke with his stronger arm. They struggled up the stairs together until they reached the door and Luke pushed it open.

Students walked down the hallway, Luke collapsed in the hallway with Brooke. People stopped and stared.

"Someone call 911, we need an ambulance, do it now." Luke screamed.

Brooke lay in his arms not moving her breath coming in shallower and shallower with each inhale and exhalation.

"Help." Luke screamed as people surrounded them.

Sirens could be heard from a distance and teachers kept students out of the way.

Luke lay on the floor curled up with Brooke. A gurney rolled down the hallway with two emergency attendants at the helm.

They picked up Brooke and rolled her out to the ambulance. "Wait for me." Luke cried out.

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"White female, late teens, massive head injury, not responding to treatment." A doctor yelled out as he rolled her down to Emergency. The doors swished shut as medical staff ran in and surrounded the young girl as they struggled to save her life.

A man clad in overalls strode by the doors and watched as they surrounded her. _Damn it, she wasn't supposed to get out. Oh well, it should be a while before she comes out of it, I hit her pretty good and if she does talk then I'll kill her like I did her friend._

Smiling evilly, he walked down the hallway whistling a tune that everyone around him ignored.

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Haley stood by Nathan's bedside touching his face reverently as she waited for him to awaken so she could tell him how much she loved him.

The door to his room had been shut a while ago, which Haley had thought considerate at the time when she'd with Nathan but now when she went to open it, it was locked.

"Hey what's going on, somebody let me out," she screamed loudly.

A doctor stood at the window of Nathan's room which looked out into the hallway, he held up a sign which made Haley's blood run cold.

"Nathan has tested positive for a skin disease that slowly consumes your flesh and will kill you. Since you have touched him, you have been contaminated, you will be quarantined in this room until a solution has been found. Do not try to escape, bars are on the outside window and you cannot escape from the room you are in"

Haley stared dumbly at the sign and watched as the doctor walked away.

"Wait." She screamed as she beat at the glass, she turned to look at Nathan and let out a blood curdling scream.

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Luke tried to stand up and walk, but kept stumbling with each step he took.

"Someone help me, I need to go to the hospital." He cried out, no one seemed to hear him.

"I'll help you." A friendly voice said from behind him.

Luke turned and saw the school janitor. "You, you're the one who kidnapped Haley and hit Brooke over the head."

"Yep and I killed your girlfriend Peyton and soon you'll be joining her." He smiled manically at Lucas.

"What? No." He screamed in terror and horrific reaction.

The janitor grabbed Luke by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him to the door marked Janitor's Closet.

He unlocked the door and threw Luke inside, relocking the door and walking away.

Luke looked around to get his bearings. He saw pictures of Brooke, Peyton and Haley and a bunch of other girls. _He's obsessed with all these girls and he means to kill them and he'll kill me._ Lucas's mind wandered through the events of the last week and he stopped on the memory of the dead body. _He must be connected to that, that's where it all began, the man in the woods stalking Brooke and I._

Lucas turned around and he began to feel very dizzy. He slumped to the floor in a faint.

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"Come on fight, don't give up on us." The doctor muttered under his breath as he examined Brooke and the X-rays of her head.

She lay silently on the bed, like a corpse only with a pulse. Her brown hair lay limply on the white pillow and her complexion reflected the mask of a ghost.

"So what's the verdict Doctor?" a nurse asked as she checked Brooke's vital signs.

"She may be stable now but she's in a coma and from these X-rays she may never be the same if she ever wakes up." His wooden tones bounced off the white walls.

Closing the file he put it back on the counter and followed the nurse out of the room.

As the door clicked shut, the blinds on the open window flickered in the breeze as the wind picked up.

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Ok, long update, I hope so. Peyton has been killed, but I didn't see a purpose for her anymore. Plz Read & Review. Updates soon!


	19. Dreams of Peace

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Thanks to all my reviewers!!

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Nathan smiled softly as he leaned back against the hard bark of the tree. Water moved slowly in the distance. His arm was around a slender brunette, she smiled at him as he fed her a chocolate covered strawberry.

"I love you Nathan." She kissed him softly and sighed as she looked out at the beauty of nature surrounding them.

"I love you too," he murmured into her soft scented hair.

Her hand ventured under his shirt and traced his belt buckle. Nathan felt his erection swell in response.

Batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at him, she leaned down and dipped her tongue in his navel as she pushed his shirt up his chest.

Nathan closed his eyes and savored the feelings that swelled inside of him.

His hand moved to cup her head showing her how he liked to be touched.

Straddling his waist, she nibbled on his ear and then moved down to suck on his throat where his pulse with beating rapidly.

His hand moved up her thigh to her skirt hem which was halfway up her thigh.

Water rippled in the distance, the breeze filtered through the trees, branches creaked in the wind. The sun beamed down on the two young lovers who were moving like two shadows in harmony.

"Nathan." She sighed in response. Tossing her mocha hair behind her ear, she began to unbutton his shirt, revealing his chest in its muscled glory.

Cupping her chin with one hand, he kissed her softly, his lips tracing over hers gently. His other hand sliding up the smooth skin of her thigh to previously unexplored territory.

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Nathan moved restlessly in his sleep, his eyebrows grooved in confusion. As his mind refused to believe who he was dreaming about.

__

In a room down the hall…….

A girl lay asleep, her eyes moving rapidly under the lids, her mouth opened and a sigh came. A soft moan…………… "Nathan."

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Sunlight blazed into Nathan's eyes blinding him for a second. He opened his eyes and saw her for the first time for real.

"Brooke." His mouth traced the syllables of her name.

His hand traced her soft hair and the structure of her face. "Beautiful," he whispered reverently.

Brooke kissed him on the lips and smiled at him sweetly.

Nathan leaned forward and touched her, a smile curved his lips upwards. He laughed tenderly and happiness soared through him.

__

Here I'm in a world without pain, rules and demands. I can be myself. I love Brooke, she's my soul mate.

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First, it's obvious, Nathan and Brooke are having the same dream. As hinted at in previous chapters, that they are brother and sister, that is not true they are not related.

Second, Things will be resolved soon about this skin disease and Lucas and the janitor/kidnapper.

I am going to a land with no computers, hence this short update.  
  
Next update: August 20.

Please READ & REVIEW!!!


	20. Awakenings

**Thanks for the reviews, I know some are confused. But Brooke and Nate were having the dream. As for making this a Brathan and not a Naley, anything is possible. Enjoy the latest update.**

**Lucas woke up**, he felt sweaty and clammy and barely had energy to move.

Looking around, he saw that his wish for this to be a bad dream hadn't happened. He was still stuck in hell.

Running through what made sense in his head about the camping trip and the dead body. He tried to rationalize it but with his energy depleted, he fell into a deep unconscious sleep.

**Brooke opened** her eyes slowly to see white walls surrounding her. _Where am I? Echoed inside her head. She could remember nothing except this dream of her and a boy named Nathan and professing her love for him. Beyond that she remembered nothing._

She lay there in silence taking in her surroundings. A nurse walked into the room, head buried in her book, not noting Brooke was awake until she looked up from her book.

"Oh my god." Her eyes widened in shock. "You're awake." She dropped her book and ran from the room, shouting for a doctor.

A doctor came into the room, minutes later and examined her. "She's fine, like she woke from a deep sleep. Incredible. How do you feel young lady?"

Brooke opened her mouth to answer and no words came out. Her hand clutched at her throat, fear widening her eyes.

"Don't worry my dear, we'll run some tests and everything will be okay." The doctor patted her hand and walked away.

**Nathan opened** his eyes and looked around. The last thing he remembered was waiting in the library for Haley and then feeling drowsy and resting his head for just a minute.

He looked around at the room, Haley lay asleep in a chair, her complexion pale matching that of a ghost. Her skin was cold and she was shivering from where he stood next to her.

He reached for the doorknob and was shocked to find it locked. Looking around the room, he saw a chair and picked it up, throwing it at the window. Glass shattered and Nathan flinched in reaction.

Looking back through the broken window, he looked at Haley in his bed. He ran to get help for her.

He rushed up to a nurse's station yelling for help. "I need help, my girlfriend is seriously sick."

No one paid any attention to him. "Hello, does anyone hear me, I need help." A nurse looked up from her phone call, "Just a minute, we're rather busy right now." Turning away from him, she ignored him as he stood there pacing like crazy.

Nathan moved away and walked past a doorway and stopped in shock to see Brooke in a hospital bed.

"Brooke." He walked over to her bed and was surprised to see how pale she was.

She looked at him, tilting her head to one side. She grabbed her pen and paper from the side table and started writing furiously.

"I can't talk, don't know why. Are you Nathan?"

Nathan looked at her quizzically. "Do you have amnesia?" 

She nodded. She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him onto her bed beside her. He sat there awkwardly wondering why she had grabbed his hand.

"Brooke -" was cut off by her soft kiss.

Her lips softly traced his, she leaned back and smiled sweetly and traced his lips with her finger. She nestled her head in his neck and wrapped her arms around him.

"Okay." Nathan looked at her surprised by his heated reaction to her kiss. Her kiss had poured through his body like liquid fire igniting his desires to possess her.

Ok, I know a lot of people probably hate me right now for appearing to make this a Brathan, but have a bit of pity for Brooke, she has amnesia and thinks Nathan is her bf.

Haley is in a coma currently so she's none the wiser. Plus, with Brooke having amnesia, you're going to see a different side of her.

Lucas is not really needed at this point in my story, so he'll be in brief parts in the next couple chapters, but he will be back on the front burner when he is needed.

Plz Read & Review.


	21. We can only be Friends, Peyton we'll mis...

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Author's Note: For those who are confused, here is what is going on. Peyton is dead, still has to be found by someone though. Lucas is stuck in the janitor's closet at the high school and is "sick". Haley is sick, she got whatever Nathan had, (think of it "the sickness" as a host jumping from body to body, the only way for it to survive). Brooke has temporary amnesia from being hit on the head by the janitor. There may be a possible switch of relationships in the upcoming chapters. Hopefully that explains it for those who are confused.

****

Nathan opened his eyes, sunlight shone through the window brightly piercing his eyes. He looked down at Brooke in his arms, she was fast asleep snuggled up against his chest. He thought of Haley stuck in a coma in his bed alone and his heart froze with guilt for a second.

Brooke opened her eyes and looked up at Nathan. "Hey," she said softly. She couldn't remember anything except this man, he was dear and near to her heart, she felt a connection to him, that she felt was special to her.

"Hi, I'm going to go get the doctor," Nathan said.

Brooke smiled sweetly at him, "Hurry back."  
  
Nathan nodded. He rushed out of the room and down the hall, seeing a man in green scrubs, he grabbed him and dragged him to his room where Haley lay.

She was still pale and clammy to the touch.

"Please can you help her?" Nathan begged.

"I'll run some tests," the doctor reassured him as he pushed Haley's bed down the hall to the examination rooms.

"Please let her be okay." Nathan prayed for Haley.

Turning back to his thoughts of Brooke, he grabbed a nurse and dragged her to Brooke's room. A man was talking to Brooke and she was responding happily.

"Brooke, what's going on?" Nathan asked from the door.

"Well the doctor says I have temporary amnesia from being hit on the head and I should hopefully start remembering soon, but now that I have my boyfriend here with me, I'll be fine." She giggled cheerfully.

"We have to talk about that." Nathan sat down on her bed.

"What?" Brooke bounced on the bed over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Don't do that." Nathan pulled back from her.

"Aren't you my boyfriend? Aren't we in love?" Brooke looked deep into his eyes, her love for him shining in hers.

"No, I have a girlfriend and her name is Haley and she's your friend." Nathan said quietly.

"But I have a memory that you and I are sitting in a meadow under a tree and we were so close and so…." she trailed off, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't you feel anything for me?" her eyes blazed with hurt. "When I kissed you, was I only the one who felt something?" she challenged him.

"I did feel something. But I have a girlfriend and she's lying in a room down the hall in a coma, so I have to be there for her." Nathan stood up and looked down at her. "Brooke, I'm sorry if I hurt you, I do care for you, but I can't have feelings for you right now." He turned to exit the door, turning at the last second.

"By the way, that memory you talked about was not a memory, but a dream I know because I had the same one last night." Nathan closed the door softly behind him.

Brooke stared at her reflection in the mirror, "Great now I'm all alone." Slumping back on her bed, she blew out a breath of air and looked at the ceiling.

****

Dan paced the hall, "We've been here all night and they've told us nothing, it's 7:45 a.m. and we've heard nothing in the last 16 hours, this hospital is an abomination." Nathan turned the corner and Dan saw him as he finished his tirade.

"Son, are you okay?" Everyone turned at Dan's voice.

Nathan saw them all sitting there. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said to his parents and uncle and then turned to Haley's parents. "Haley's in a coma, she's sick with whatever I had."

"Look I gotta go, I have to find out what they're testing Haley for," Nathan strode off before they could utter a protest.

Haley's mom broke down in tears, her father comforted her. Deb uttered a prayer to the heavens thanking them for Nathan and hoping that Haley would make it.

****

Brooke stepped into a bathroom off the hallway, she walked over to the counter to look in the mirror, as she walked past a stall, she saw a body lying there, not moving.

She saw a mop of dirty blonde curls, a pale face and arty clothes covering a girl's body. Bending down, she touched the body. Jumping back at the frigid coldness of the body.

Her eyes widened in fear and she ran out of the bathroom screaming.

Nurses and doctors came running down the hallway towards her.

"There's a dead body in there," Brooke mumbled brokenly as she started to break down.

Nathan turned the corner and saw Brooke in the huddle of people, he ran down the hallway towards her.

"Brooke what's wrong?" he shouldered past the people towards Brooke and enveloped her in his arms.

"Nathan there's a dead girl in there," she pointed to the bathroom.

Nathan handed her over to a nurse and entered the bathroom, blood splattered one wall of the cubicle, Peyton lay on the floor. Nathan stumbled numbly against the wall, _Peyton's dead. Who would've killed her, she was so full of life…._ Horrified by what had happened to her, Nathan stumbled out of the bathroom.

"Her name is Peyton Sawyer, can you please call the police, her throat was slashed." Nathan pulled Brooke into his arms and embraced her tightly.

"Who's Peyton?" her small voice asked him.

The chaos of people faded as he led Brooke back to her hospital room. He sat her down on the bed, "She was your best friend."  
  
"But I don't remember her." Brooke's face crumpled as she cried hysterically. Nathan hugged her, a cold rain and brutal wind battered at the windows as they grieved.

****

Peyton's found. Brooke and Nathan are bonding. Haley is being tested. Lucas will be in the next chapter. Plz R&R.


	22. Changes

Chapter Twenty-Two: Changes

Nathan held Brooke in his arms and looked out the window, it had only been five days since this whole nightmare had begun, the camping trip to Emerald Bay. Something had happened there that had affected their lives. Peyton was dead, Haley was in a coma, Brooke had amnesia and Lucas….

Nathan stopped dead in his thoughts, where was Lucas? He hadn't seem him since yesterday at the high school. Pulling back from Brooke, he got a bad feeling in his gut as he continued to wonder where Lucas was.

"I'm sorry Brooke I have to go, you'll be fine," Nathan stood up from the bed.

"Nathan don't leave me, I need you," Brooke cried out.

"I have to find Lucas," Nathan said as he ran out the door.

"Who's Lucas?" Brooke asked empty air. Her head started thumping painfully, Brooke stumbled over to the curtains and pulled them shut and lay back down on the bed, hoping the darkness would heal what was hurting her head.

Lucas slowly opened his eyes, he was still in the closet and his mind was foggy about what had happened in the last however many hours he'd been in here for.

Slowly pulling himself up, he leaned on the wall and felt for the doorknob and pulled it open. It rotated easily in his hand, he pulled it open and couldn't believe what he was seeing when he walked out of the room.

Haley moaned and turned from side to side in her deep sleep, something locked deep inside of her urged her to grasp the silver hook that would pull her out of the black pit of hell that she was trapped in.

She could hear vague voices around her, talking about her as if she was not there.

There's something inside of her, that won't budge no matter what antibiotics we pump into her system….the longer she stays in this coma, the closer she comes to death.

Haley's hand twitched at that thought, _No I will not surrender, I will not lose this battle, I will conquer, I can't die, I have to be with Nathan, I love him. Nathan, _she called subconsciously, _I need you, please come._

Nathan stopped dead in his tracks, he could've sworn that he heard Haley calling him. He turned around and saw no one there.

He stood on the stairs in front of the high school which was charred and sooty looking, like the structure was struggling to stand up after a huge fire that had tried to consume it.

There was no one around. A loud noise from within the unstable structure shocking Nathan out of his dazed reverie.

He moved closer to the building and saw a person moving inside. A shock of golden hair stuck out in the darkness of the charred school.

"Lucas," Nathan shouted.

Lucas heard his name being yelled, "Nathan where are you?"  
  
"Out here, walk straight out, the school is about to collapse." Nathan hoped he would hurry up. 

Lucas looked up and saw the thin beams wavering in the slight breeze. He walked as quickly and stepped lightly as he moved towards the outside.

Just as he got out of harm's way, the school collapsed, Nathan grabbed him and they rolled on the ground of the mess.

Lucas stood up and helped Nathan up. "What happened, I was locked in the janitor's closet for I don't know how long?"

"It's only been twenty-four hours, but a lot has happened since you've been gone man." Nathan patted him on the shoulder.

"Haley's in a coma, Brooke has amnesia and Peyton was murdered." Nathan waited for Lucas's reaction.

Luke's mind froze on hearing Peyton was dead, _how could she die………why? _Then it shifted to Haley, "how did she get in the coma?" he asked Nathan.

"Someone kidnapped her and Brooke and hid them in the basement and someone brought her to the hospital and as for Brooke, I don't know." Nathan said slowly.

"I brought Haley to the hospital, the janitor was the one who kidnapped her and Brooke and he hit me over the head and locked me in the closet, but how did the school burn down and how did I survive?" Lucas questioned dead air around him. 

"I don't know man, but a lot of weird shit has happened since that camping trip to Emerald Bay." Shaking his head, he took Lucas's arm, "Come on we have to go back to the hospital and introduce you to Brooke."  
  
Luke stopped in his tracks and took one look at the remains of Tree Hill High. His life as he knew it had changed forever.

**More soon, plz Read & Review!! ;)**


	23. Where do we go from here

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One week later…..

Brooke stood outside the charred ruins of Tree Hill High and struggled to remember her life as it had been before she'd been struck with amnesia, her past was one big blank. The guy standing at her right was hunched over in his broody stance that she'd gotten used to over the last week.

Lucas looked around at the ashes that remained of Tree Hill High and wondered how his life had changed so much in the last two weeks.

Nathan held Haley close to him with his left arm and looked at the two lone figures standing on his left. Brooke stood there all alone and yet was not alone at all. Lucas just looked lost.

He still couldn't believe that Peyton was gone, it seemed like only yesterday that she'd been ragging on him for something. It seemed impossible that she was gone.

In just one more week they would start high school at the private school of Manchester Prep. It would be so weird going to a different school. Manchester Prep didn't have a basketball team or cheerleaders, but they did have uniforms.

Nathan shuddered at the thought.

Haley tried to focus on the sight in front of her. No more tutoring center or stolen kisses in classrooms with Nathan. A lone tear pearled down her cheek, she tried to hold back her emotions, but she felt broken now that she had to go to some private school and wear a uniform.

She couldn't believe that Peyton was dead. It was too weird, like they were in an alternate reality. If only…..

Lucas dug his hands deeper in his pockets, widened his stance and narrowed his eyes as he pondered his new situation. Having to go to a private school was going to be weird enough, he still couldn't believe that Peyton was dead……….it seemed like she would come running around the corner and say something sarcastic to him. Him, her and Brooke had been a unit, but now with Peyton gone and Brooke having no memory, they were broken apart forever.

Nothing would ever be the same.

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The End…………..unless you want me to continue with their adventures at Manchester Prep.  
  
Let me know.


	24. New Beginnings

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Thanks to all the reviewers. Enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 24: New Beginnings

Sunlight dappled through the leaves of the maple trees. It was a cool October morning and Lucas was dreading having to go to Manchester Prep. He was getting a ride with Brooke whose memory still hadn't come back after another week.

It was a twenty minute drive to Manchester Prep, classes started at 8:30, but the headmistress wanted them there half an hour early to go over the rules and get the guided tour. Lucas looked down at his attire and tried not to grimace, black trousers and black shoes, a white shirt, he'd knotted his navy and crimson tie loosely around his neck.

Brooke pulled up in her silver VW beetle, her mocha hair askew from the wind as she'd sped over to his house with the top down. Her navy plaid skirt was hiked up slender tanned thighs to an almost indecent length. Her white blouse hung open at the neck, revealing a creamy bra edged with ecru lace peeking out at him. She wore black chunky shoes and knee high black socks.

"C'mon Luke, I won't bite, unless you ask nicely," she flirted shamelessly, smiling cutely at him.

Shaking his head in response, he flung his bag in the back and jumped in the passenger seat of her car.

Brooke pealed away from the curb. "We have 14 minutes to get there, so I'm gonna have to drive a bit fast," winking at him, she floored the accelerator.

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Manchester Prep - 8:00 a.m.

Headmistress Owens tapped her watch impatiently as she looked at the dark-haired girl seated primly in one of the overstuffed cornflower chairs across from her desk.

"Well since you're the only one here, we will begin the tour," the door ripped open, Nathan and Lucas tripped over each other, trying to get in the door first. Brooke pranced in behind them, a soft smile curling her lips.

"Mr. Scott, Miss Davis and Mr. Scott, so glad you could join us," turning to see them for the first time, a hand flew to her bosom as she looked at Nathan.

Taking her glasses off, she stared at him for a minute, turning back to the window, her shoulders shook for a second and then she regained her composure.

"Excuse me, shall we begin the tour," leading the way out of the office, she led them down a paneled hallway.

****

30 minutes later

A bell rang signaling the beginning of Period 1. The headmistress stopped back in front of the office. "Now that you've seen the school, I will distribute your class schedules, our system is a bit different from your old school, we have semesters, so instead of 8 classes, you only have 4, since you start a month late, you will be excused from all the work prior but will be expected to catch up on the reading material." Walking into her office, the four followed suit.

"Miss James, you have been put in all the honors classes, since your grades were exemplary. English Honors, Calculus, Chemistry and Biology," Haley looked at her timetable.

Nathan looked at her schedule and his mind boggled, she had classes from 8:30 till 2:40, and only a lunch break from 11:30 - 12:15. "Have fun Hales."

Haley looked at him, smiled slightly. Their relationship had changed ever since she'd gotten out of the hospital, things just seemed different, almost like they could be friends, instead of boyfriend/girlfriend. Closing the door quietly behind her, she walked to her English class.

"Miss Davis, I've put you in English Honors, American History, Chemistry and Gym." Headmistress Owens handed Brooke her timetable. Brooke saw her lunch period was 11:15 12:15.

"Lucas, I've put you in Physics, American History, English and Gym." Lucas smiled briefly and exited the room leaving Nathan alone with the Headmistress.

"I was just wondering if there was something wrong, you stared at me a bit weirdly when I came in this morning?" Nathan asked.

"No, it's just you bear a startling resemblance to someone I used to know," wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, the headmistress held out his timetable.

Nathan looked down at his timetable: _Criminology from 8:30-9:50; American History from 10:00-11:15; Lunch till 12:15; English from 12:15-1:30 and Gym from 1:35-2:40._

"Why Criminology?" he asked perplexed.

"On your transcript I saw that you'd taken a criminology course last year and gotten a high mark in it, so I thought you would like to take another one here. Was that presumptuous of me?" Headmistress Owens asked him, sadness in her eyes.

"No I appreciate it, thank you, I should go now," Nathan looked at her closely and shut the door.

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Well what do you think, sadly the days of Naley are over. Sorry, time for a change. Nathan bears a startling resemblance to someone Headmistress Owens used to know??? You'll find out who in future chapters. Hope you like this new twist in this story. Plz R&R!!! Should I have the kids of Manchester Prep be nice or mean????


	25. Brooke's New Crush

Author's Note: In light of some reviews, I've decided to go back to Naley. I was originally going to stick Nathan with Brooke, but I've found someone else for her. Naley will be back together soon, they have some stuff to work through. Thanks for all the reviews, sorry for the delay in updating. Been v. busy w/ school and work.

Chapter 25: Brooke's New Crush

Haley walked into her English Honors class, silence fell over the room. A tall lean man with curly brown hair walked up to her. "Miss James?"

"Yeah, that's me," tucking a piece of hair behind her ear nervously. She looked around the room and saw a blonde haired girl blowing on her nails impatiently as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm Sam Roberts, the school has this thing about you calling me Sam, take a seat," he gestured to the empty seat next to the blonde girl.

Haley shuffled down the row nervously and sunk into her new seat, watching the teacher as he continued to lecture about what they would be doing for the next month.

The door flew open, slamming against the wall. Sam froze in his lecture _again_, he turned to address the person who'd interrupted his class and he froze.

Brooke walked through the class, "I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz," her gaze lit on the guys in the class. Dismissing them right away, her eyes slid to Sam and lit up. _He's …………. _her mind drew a blank. Dropping her book accidentally, she leaned down to pick it up and all the guys in the front row leaned over their desks to get a glimpse down her shirt.

Sam picked up her book and handed it to her. "It's okay, are you Brooke? Brooke Davis?" his voice wobbled slightly.

"Yeah, that's me," toying with a lock of hair absently between her fingers, she looked at Sam and just stared into his deep sexy coffee eyes.

"Anyway, take a seat," Sam gestured to the rows of seats.

"Ok, thanks." Brooke smiled sweetly and walked down the aisle, Haley had previously wobbled down.

Sitting in the seat behind the blonde girl, Brooke put her books on her desk and settled down to stare at Sam.

The blonde girl turned to look at her, her eyebrows arched and she turned back around. Brooke stared at her back for a second and then shrugged it off.

45 minutes later

Brooke shuffled through her books and stuffed her notes in her American History textbook and leaned down to pull up her sock.

The blonde girl passed her a note and smiled, "My name is Nicole, see you in Gym."  
  
Brooke stared after her and rolled her eyes.

Haley looked at her and whispered, "Brooke do you like this school?"

"It's okay and Haley," Brooke stopped whispering, "Class is over, catch ya later." Gathering her books, she followed after Sam as he exited the room.

10:04 a.m.

Nathan settled into his seat in American History and smirked at Luke who sat next to him. Brooke sat in the corner by herself surrounded by admiring guys as usual. _Some things don't change….. I wonder how Haley is doing? I feel like our relationship has changed a bit in the last couple weeks, we have to talk._ Feeling better that he'd made a decision to talk to Haley, he opened his notebook, ready to take notes.

Luke looked around the room and felt slightly alone, none of his friends were here. Only he, Nate, Haley and Brooke were going here. Everyone else was going to a separate private school, located an hour out of Tree Hill in the opposite direction. _It was almost weird how the four of them had been sent here._ Opening his notebook, he started taking notes.

Brooke found herself surrounded by hot available guys on each side of her. Rolling her eyes, tossing her hair like an impatient show pony she smiled at them and looked down at her notebook. Unfolding Nicole's note, it read:

Dear New Girl,

To be one of us, you must prove yourself, interested then go to the library after school and go to the aisle "MMZ-NNU"!!  
  
Rolling her eyes, she tossed the note in the garbage can and focused on the teacher's lecture. Or at least tried to, she couldn't get Sam's dreamy eyes out of her mind. Sighing she put her chin on the palm of her hand and daydreamed about him.

2:18 p.m.

Having decided to skip Gym, Brooke had told Nathan to tell the teacher that she'd getting headaches, well aware of the fact that the teachers had to know she had amnesia, she figured she could get away with lying.

Her locker was on the third floor right at the end of the faculty officer hallway, as she shut her locker door. A lightheaded feeling overcame her, gripping the cool metal of the locker. Her hands grew slimy with sweat. Brooke felt like falling into a deep sleep.

Cool hands supported her and stopped her from collapsing. She looked up shakily and saw dreamy brown eyes looking at her, fear in their eyes.

"Sam," she moaned softly. Lifting a hand to his cheek, she shut her eyes in denial of this being a dream. His skin felt so soft, steel interwoven with velvet.

"Brooke, are you okay?" his cheeks turned a dark red as he flushed nervously.

"Please I need-" Brooke fainted in his arms. Her books clattered to the floor.

Sam looked around nervously, the hallway was deserted. Cradling Brooke against his chest, his heart beat like a bird fluttering its wings. _Just looking at her isn't enough, ever since she walked into my class this morning and I tried to get her transferred into another class….but I?_

Looking down at her, her chest moved slowly up and down, she seemed to be okay. Grabbing her purse and looping it over his spare arm, he carried her to the nurse's office.

**Plz R&R. Updates soon!!!**


	26. Reflections

Chapter 26: Reflections

Haley tossed herself onto her bed and sighed deeply in annoyance, here she was at a new school and she was "the nerd" again. While "Miss Popular" Brooke was already the new love of the "in-crowd" just for once Haley would like a little attention.

Looking down at her homework assignments, she sighed in knowledge that she'd better get going on her stuff if she wanted to make the honor roll. _Miss goody two shoes that I am._

Settling at her desk, she started her assignments.

Nathan ran down the street, listening to his music, barely missing a beat, he almost tripped over a rock which he hadn't seen. Turning off his music, he listened to his feet as they tapped along on the pavement.

Today at school had been interesting, especially with that teacher, staring at him so oddly. It was too bad the school didn't have a basketball team but that was going to be fixed. Tomorrow he and Lucas were going to talk to the principal to see about setting up a temporary team.

Lucas eased back onto his bed and pondered over the first day of school, it been just like Tree Hill High, they had cliques too.

He seemed to fit in wherever, no one really talked to him and yet no one seemed to pick on him, so he would take it as a good thing and roll with it.

Brooke got out of her car and flounced over to the front door which as usual was locked. Reaching into her purse she searched for her key and came up empty handed.

Cursing softly, she walked around the side of the house and saw a half-open window. Putting her bag on the grass, she eased her way through the window and fell in a graceless heap on the floor.

Sighing in relief, she ran outside to retrieve her bag and walked smack into a man. She fell backwards onto the grass.

Looking up with her "best pissed off" look on her face, she was stunned into silence.

"Nick?" she looked at him hard for a second and then just sat there in silence.

More soon. Who could Nick be?


	27. I Remember

Thanks for the feedback.

Chapter 27: I Remember

Brooke opened her mouth like a fish and just stared at Nick. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I've got some bad news," he sat down next to her.

"What?" she looked at him, still puzzled as to why he was there. It's been seven years since I've seen my brother why would he come back now, my parents pretty much banished him for……..

"Brooke, our parents died in a plane crash last night," Nick broke it as quietly as he could.

Shivers ran through her body, her heart seemed to stop for a minute, trying to comprehend their death. "Even though they fought all the time, I still loved them." Brooke cried into her brother's shirt.

"I know, it's okay, cause I'm here now, to take care of you," Nick soothed her.

Haley sat on her bed, trying to read, her mind racing with other ideas of stuff to do. Her parents were out of town again, they were always away, since she was the baby of the family, all her siblings were married or had moved away. She was free to do what she wanted.

"Maybe I'll go see Nathan?" she said aloud to herself.

Nathan sat in his room, thinking about the events of the past month. The camping trip, him being sick, Haley being sick, Brooke's amnesia, and everything else. And now his parents were getting divorced for real, no more pretend it was really going to happen.

And they were pressing him to pick who he wanted to live with. Pressure or what.

His door opened softly and Haley peeked in. "Hey Nate, can I come in?"

"Hales, you don't need to ask, you're my girlfriend, I've missed you lately, with the move to the new school, everything seems to have changed." He pulled her into his lap and hugged her.

Haley leaned up and kissed him softly. "I've missed you too, Nate, I love you." They sat there in quiet silence, remembering what was and what is now.

Lucas answered his cell phone, "Okay slow down, I'll be right there." Mind racing, he grabbed his jacket and ran to the door with his car keys jingling in his pocket.

He pealed away from the curb.

Brooke sat on the couch, her mind racing through the events that had come back to her, first when she'd seen Nick and then when she'd heard the news of her parents.

"I remember, I…." her face crumpled as she remembered her and Peyton's friendship and now her best friend was dead. "I'm all alone, I have no one except….." her hand reached for the phone.

Lucas knocked on the door, it was opened by a strange guy. "Who are you? Where is Brooke?"

"Lucas," she walked forward and into his arms. "Peyton's dead and my parents are dead and I'm all alone except for you, please don't leave me."

Luke looked down at her, vulnerability shone in her eyes and her stance was that of a defeated person.

"I'm here for you, you know that," he looked down into her eyes and then embraced her tightly.

Nick watched them, "I'm Nick, Brooke's brother." Holding out his hand to Luke.

"I didn't know Brooke had a brother," he said to himself, he shook Nick's hand. Moving slowly, he escorted Brooke to the sofa.

"Brooke, it'll be okay, I'm here for you." Lucas rubbed her shoulders.

More soon. The next chapter will be jumped ahead 3 months and focusing on the group, no more Manchester Prep, it's getting too confusing. Although Sam may remain in the story. Remains to be seen.


	28. Summer Fades to Glory of Autumn

3 months later....

Brooke parked her car at Tree Hill High, it had been a rough summer, dealing with her parents death, remembering Peyton's death, getting away from Manchester Prep. She shivered slightly in the cool wind.

"You okay?" a tender voice asked. A muscled arm looped around her waist.

"Yeah, I'm glad I have you," Brooke leaned into Lucas, hugging him tightly.

"I'm always here for you," Lucas kissed her forehead gently. He and Brooke had been going out for 3 months now. It was late August and school was about to start again, they were in their sophmore year and the school was finally finished being rebuilt.

Nathan answered the knock at his house, Haley stood there, looking gorgeous in a red dress. "Shall we go to the river and have a picnic?" she held out her picnic basket.

"Sure," Nathan grabbed his keys and closed the door, linking his hand with hers. They walked off down the road.

Nathan and Haley had gotten back together and their love was stronger than ever. Dan and Deb had gotten a divorce and Nathan lived with Deb, Dan had moved to L.A.

Tree Hill High had been built again and school started in 2 weeks. Everything was back to normal again. Or was it.......

Trees moved in the dance of the wind, clouds separated to reveal the sun in all its glory.

END


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